• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Category Index
  • How To

Indian Ambrosia

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Category
  • Recipe Collections
  • Chicken
  • Vegetarian
  • Subscribe
  • Instant Pot
  • Quick & Easy
  • What's New
  • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Category
    • Recipe Collections
    • Chicken
    • Vegetarian
    • Subscribe
    • Instant Pot
    • Quick & Easy
    • What's New
    • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    You are here: Home » Snacks and Appetizers

    Published: Dec 10, 2018 · Modified: Nov 14, 2021 by Saima · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases · This blog generates income via ads.

    Mumbai Pav Bhaji (Authentic, Street Style Recipe) - Instant Pot and Stovetop

    450 shares
    • 131
    Jump to Recipe
    Pav bhaji in a dish

    Mumbai pav bhaji or Bombay Pav Bhaji is an extremely popular Indian street food. Made with mixed vegetables, onions, tomatoes and spices and served with buttered dinner rolls, it is out-of-this world delish and totally addictive! Instant pot and stovetop methods included.

    Check out this collection of 30+ Indian vegetarian recipes, all made in the instant pot!

    Pav bhaji in a bowl with dinner rolls on the side

    Hit by the urge to snack on something savory and spicy? Make pav bhaji!

    Pav bhaji is a much loved snack sold on the streets of Mumbai, India. I still miss digging into platefuls of this hot, spicy curry prepared right by the roadside in a make-shift stall. I just have to close my eyes, and I can see the vendor frying the veggies and flipping the buns on a sizzling tawa (griddle). Therefore, it gladdens my heart no end that I can re-create the same taste and flavors in my kitchen in Canada!

    It doesn't take a ton of effort or expertise to make this street style pav bhaji at home, especially when you make it in your pressure cooker or instant pot. I'll share both the pressure cooking and stovetop methods of making it.

    Another recipe that has assorted vegetables is this mixed vegetable curry. It's a dry sabzi that tastes delicious with Indian breads like roti or chapati. Do check it out. 

    Jump to:
    • Why this recipe works
    • Ingredients
    • Pav bhaji masala recipe
    • Instant pot pav bhaji
    • Stovetop pav bhaji
    • How to assemble the bhaji (vegetable curry) + pav (dinner rolls)
    • Easy serving ideas
    • Other vegetable curries you might like
    • 📖 Recipe

    Why this recipe works

    • It is an easy, one-pot dish when made in your pressure cooker or instant pot.
    • The oodles of butter in the recipe gives it an authentic street style flavor that is to die for.
    • You can cut short the preparation by adding Everest pav bhaji masala instead of making the masala from scratch.
    • It is customizable - you can have it with dinner rolls, sliced bread or naan.

    Ingredients

    • Vegetables - cauliflower, carrot, potatoes, peas, onion, tomatoes
    • Butter
    • Pav bhaji spice mix - homemade or store bought (Everest brand)
    • Ginger garlic paste - homemade or store bought
    • Lemon and cilantro leaves
    • Dinner rolls
    pav bhaji ingredients

    Pav bhaji masala recipe

    A word before I share the recipe. You can easily cut short this step and buy some ready-made masala from any Indian store in your neighbourhood. Everest is a good brand that I use sometimes. Two tablespoons of this pre-made spice blend usually suffices.

    However, when I'm not in a rush, I prefer to make pav bhaji without pav bhaji masala (the store-bought kind). If you have the ingredients at hand, you can put it together in three minutes flat! I have used my homemade masala in this recipe.

    You will need the following whole spices -

    • fennel
    • cumin
    • coriander
    • cloves
    • black cardamom
    • black peppercorns

    And these powdered spices as well - 

    • Kashmiri chilli - a mild red variety of chilli powder.
    • turmeric 
    • mango powder - also known as amchur.
    • black salt - a variety of rock salt. It is pink in color.

    Put the whole spices in a dry grinder and whiz to get a fine powder. Mix in the powdered spices. Your masala is ready.

    Instant pot pav bhaji

    When made in the instant pot, pav bhaji is a simple one-pot affair. Here's a step-by-step breakdown.

    Step 1: Switch the instant pot to saute mode and melt the butter. Add onions and fry until translucent (3 minutes).

    Step 2: Tip in the ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes, pav bhaji masala powder and salt. Saute until the tomatoes break down. Add a little water if masala becomes too dry (5 minutes).

    Step 3: Add the vegetables (chopped) and one cup water. Cancel the saute mode and switch on the manual (pressure cooking) mode. Make sure the vent is sealed and set the timer to 10 minutes. After the timer goes, do a quick pressure release after 10 minutes (25 minutes including the time the cooker takes to build pressure).

    Step 4: Open the cooker and turn on the saute mode again. If there is excess liquid, cook for 5 minutes more, mashing the vegetables with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon. You'll find that this is very easy to do since the veggies are very soft and well-cooked (5 minutes).

    Note: If making this recipe in a conventional stovetop pressure cooker, follow the exact same steps as outlined above. Pressure cook for two whistles on high heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Take off the hob and let the steam release naturally. 

    pav bhaji steps

    Stovetop pav bhaji

    Prep the vegetables (30 minutes)

    Chop the vegetables and cook them in a saucepan with 3 cups of water. When the veggies are soft, mash them lightly with a fork.

    Make the curry base (15 minutes).

    Step 1: Fry the onions in butter until translucent (3 minutes).

    Step 2: Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute (2 minutes).

    Step 3: Add the tomatoes, pav bhaji masala powder and salt. Cook until soft (5 minutes).

    Step 4: Add the mashed vegetables and cook (5 minutes).

    How to make pav bhaji - steps

    How to assemble the bhaji (vegetable curry) + pav (dinner rolls)

    1. Slice a dinner roll into two and spread a little butter on both halves. Place the rolls buttered side down on a hot fry pan and remove when slightly browned and crisp. Repeat for all the rolls.

    2. Take out the bhaji in a deep dish. Sprinkle some lemon juice and mix well. Top with a knob of butter and garnish with chopped cilantro leaves.

    3. Arrange two dinner rolls on a plate and spoon out some bhaji. A very tasty, restaurant style pav bhaji is ready to eat. Yay!

    pav bhaji in a plate

    Easy serving ideas

    Pav bhaji sliders

    Place some bhaji between two halves of a buttered and fried dinner roll, top it with onion rings and have it hamburger style. This is so convenient that I find myself having it this way more often than not.

    pav bhaji sliders on a plate with onion rings

    For leftover bhaji

    • Bhaji rolls - Spread some bhaji on a tortilla or naan and roll it up.
    • Bhaji and rice - Mix the bhaji with rice and a little dal (lentils) for a complete meal.
    • Bhaji sandwich - Place some bhaji on a slice of bread, cover with another slice and stick it in a sandwich maker or a panini press for a hot, toasted bhaji sandwich.

    Get creative

    My kids love cheese pav bhaji, and so would yours, I bet. Top the bhaji with some shredded cheddar cheese or a cheese slice while it is still hot. Ditto for the bhaji sandwiches.

    Other vegetable curries you might like

    • Baghare Baingan - A tangy eggplant curry with coconut, sesame, peanuts, and tamarind.
    • Lauki Chana Dal - A tasty bottle gourd and lentils curry made in the instant pot.
    • Aloo Curry - A simple vegan potato curry that taste terrific with poori. 
    • Vegetable Korma - mixed vegetables in a sauce made creamy with cashews and coconut milk. 
    • Punjabi Kadhi - Vegetable fritters in a tangy yogurt sauce.

    📖 Recipe

    Pav bhaji in a bowl with dinner rolls on the side

    Mumbai Pav Bhaji Recipe

    Saima Zaidi
    Mumbai pav bhaji is an extremely popular Indian street food. Made with mixed vegetables, onions, tomatoes and spices and served with buttered dinner rolls, it is out-of-this world delish and totally addictive!
    5 from 14 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Total Time 50 mins
    Course Snack
    Cuisine Indian
    Servings 4
    Calories 280.1 kcal

    Equipment

    • 6-quart Instant Pot Duo OR a saucepan
    • Medium frypan (if making stovetop pav bhaji)

    Ingredients
     
     

    Pav bhaji masala ingredients

    • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
    • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
    • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
    • 5 whole cloves
    • 2 black cardamom peeled
    • 15 black peppercorns
    • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
    • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
    • 1 teaspoon mango powder or amchur
    • 1 teaspoon black salt

    Other ingredients

    • 2 cup cauliflower florets
    • 1 cup peas
    • 2 cup potatoes peeled and diced
    • 2 cup carrot diced
    • 1 big onion sliced fine
    • 1 big tomato chopped
    • 2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
    • ⅓ cup butter
    • ½ lemon
    • 1 sprig fresh cilantro leaves chopped
    • extra butter for topping
    • salt to taste
    • 8-10 dinner rolls

    Instructions
     

    Preparation

    • Dice the vegetables (cauliflower, carrot and potato) into small pieces and keep aside.
    • Make the pav bhaji masala - put the whole spices in a grinder and grind to a fine powder. Mix in the powdered spices. If using Everest pav bhaji masala, skip this step.

    Instant Pot Method

    • Switch the instant pot to saute mode and melt the butter. Add onions and fry until translucent (3 minutes).
    • Tip in the ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes, pav bhaji masala powder and salt. Saute until the tomatoes break down. Add a little water if masala becomes too dry (5 minutes).
    • Add the vegetables (chopped) and one cup water. Cancel the saute mode and switch on the manual (pressure cooking) mode. Make sure the vent is sealed and set the timer to 10 minutes. After the timer goes, do a quick pressure release after 10 minutes (25 minutes including the time the cooker takes to build pressure).
    • Open the cooker and turn on the saute mode again. If there is excess liquid, cook for 5 minutes more, mashing the vegetables with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon. You'll find that this is very easy to do since the veggies are very soft and well-cooked (5 minutes).

    Stovetop Method

    • Put the cauliflower, peas, potatoes and carrot  in a saucepan along with 3 cups of water. Cook until the veggies are very soft and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the saucepan from the hob and let it cool down a bit. Mash the vegetables lightly with a fork. Don't throw away the excess water, if any.
    • Put the butter in a pan and heat it. When the butter melts, add the onion and fry until translucent.
    • Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for 2 minutes on medium heat.
    • Add the tomatoes, powdered dry spices made in step 2 and salt. Cook until the tomatoes soften. Add a few splashes of water to keep the masala from burning.
    • Add the mashed vegetables prepared in step 1 and mix very well. Cook for 5 minutes.
    • Squeeze the lemon over the bhaji and mix. Garnish with chopped cilantro
    • Halve the dinner rolls and spread the remaining some butter on all the halves. Lightly fry them on a heated frypan until they are browned and crisp.
    • Serve the pav bhaji on a platter with onions and lemon wedges.

    Assembling the pav bhaji

    • Slice a dinner roll into two and spread a little butter on both halves. Place the rolls buttered side down on a hot fry pan and remove when slightly browned and crisp. Repeat for all the rolls.
    • Take out the bhaji in a deep dish. Sprinkle some lemon juice and mix well. Top with a knob of butter and garnish with chopped cilantro leaves.
    • Arrange two dinner rolls on a plate and spoon out some bhaji. Serve hot.

    Notes

    1. Pre-made pav bhaji masala is available in Indian stores everywhere. Everest is the best pav bhaji masala brand available and this is the one I use. Two tablespoons of this masala are enough. Buy this if you want to skip making your own masala.
    2. If you are making your own masala, all the ingredients are available in an Indian store including fennel, mango powder (amchur), black salt (kala namak) and Kashmiri chilli powder.
    3. If you want an authentic taste, use butter and not oil. Butter does wonders for this dish which cooking oil just cannot match up to!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 280.1kcalCarbohydrates: 24.4gProtein: 4.1gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 7.9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10.6gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 812.5mgFiber: 5.9gSugar: 5.3g
    Keyword Indian street food, pav bhaji, vegetable curry, vegetarian recipe
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    « Indian Egg Curry Recipe
    Punjabi Dum Aloo Curry »
    450 shares
    • 131

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sonal says

      December 11, 2018 at 7:57 pm

      5 stars
      What a good post with amazing details and suggestions. Pav Bhaji is uch loved in my house. Will try your version.

      Reply
      • Saima says

        December 11, 2018 at 8:03 pm

        Thanks, Sonal. Do try it.

        Reply
    2. Colleen says

      December 11, 2018 at 8:51 pm

      This dish sounds simple but perfectly delicious! As a west coast Canadian, I have so much access to wonderful Indian food, but never tried this, and must make this! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Saima says

        December 11, 2018 at 8:58 pm

        You're welcome, Colleen.

        Reply
    3. Tisha says

      December 11, 2018 at 9:09 pm

      5 stars
      I love spicy food! This sounds like something that is right up my alley!

      Reply
    4. Andrea Metlika says

      December 11, 2018 at 9:17 pm

      5 stars
      All the different seasonings and vegetables sound just fabulous. My family would love this.

      Reply
    5. Sherri says

      December 12, 2018 at 8:30 am

      I have never had pav bhaji, but I love to try new foods! I love how it's loaded with healthy ingredients! Perfect for this time of year! 🙂

      Reply
      • Saima says

        December 12, 2018 at 6:58 pm

        All those veggies cannot be bad for you, right? Do try it, Sherri.

        Reply
    6. Annissa says

      December 12, 2018 at 10:25 am

      5 stars
      Interesting flavors in one dish! Looks so tasty and savory!

      Reply
      • Saima says

        December 12, 2018 at 6:58 pm

        Thanks, Annissa.

        Reply
    7. Shelley says

      December 12, 2018 at 5:31 pm

      5 stars
      I really loved this post! My family adores Indian food, and after reading through your steps and tips, this recipe really does sound so easy and do-able! I especially appreciated little strategies like purchasing masala to make things faster (thanks for the brand suggestion!), although it truly doesn't sound hard to make my own, either. The step-by-step photos really brought it all to life! I am absolutely pinning this ... and wishing I was digging in to a BIG plateful right now! Terrific recipe post!

      Reply
      • Saima says

        December 12, 2018 at 7:00 pm

        Shelley, thanks. I hope your family enjoys eating it as much as mine does! Do let me know how it went down.

        Reply
    8. Analida Braeger says

      December 13, 2018 at 8:56 am

      5 stars
      Yummy. I could spread this on crackers, naan, or serve it over rice for a veggie meal. Seems so warming to the soul. Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
      • Saima says

        December 13, 2018 at 8:07 pm

        You're welcome, Analida. I've never had it with crackers, but it's a great idea!

        Reply
    9. Veena Azmanov says

      December 13, 2018 at 12:56 pm

      5 stars
      It's been years since I enjoyed a good pav bhaji. Back in Mumbai we'd have it often on the way back from college. This brings back some really nice memories.

      Reply
      • Saima says

        December 13, 2018 at 8:06 pm

        It does bring back those memeories, doesn't it?

        Reply
    10. Anna Hettick says

      December 14, 2018 at 10:21 am

      5 stars
      I've never tried Indian food but this recipe makes it look a little less daunting!!!

      Reply
    11. Kelly Anthony says

      December 14, 2018 at 5:39 pm

      5 stars
      This sounds so savory and yummy! Love that it is served with a buttered roll. Right up my alley 😉

      Reply
    12. Marisa Franca says

      December 15, 2018 at 1:08 pm

      5 stars
      Boy, does that ever look. I've never tasted it but looking at your ingredients I know that we'd love all of the flavors that are going on there. And we have the dinner rolls that would be absolutely perfect with the pav bhaji,

      Reply
    13. Sri Mallya says

      December 15, 2018 at 6:45 pm

      5 stars
      I make pav bhaji atleast once a week 🙂 your version looks so delicious and your pics are beautiful too!

      Reply
      • Saima says

        December 15, 2018 at 9:46 pm

        Thanks, Sri Mallya. Would love to know how you make it!

        Reply
    14. Carrie Ditton says

      December 16, 2018 at 7:00 pm

      5 stars
      I love Indian food and this recipe is packed with so many of my favorite flavors! Pinned to make soon!

      Reply
    15. Nicole says

      December 16, 2018 at 7:47 pm

      My best friend loves Indian food. She would love this!

      Reply
    16. Krista Price says

      December 16, 2018 at 9:53 pm

      5 stars
      This looks like something I'd need a shovel for ...to shovel into my mouth of course! I've never had anything like this, but based off the ingredients alone, I know I'd LOVE it.

      Reply
    17. Natalie says

      December 17, 2018 at 10:17 am

      5 stars
      Interesting dish. I really love the flavors and how easy this is to make. I will give it a try. I love veggies and all the spices you used here. Pinning.

      Reply
      • Saima says

        December 17, 2018 at 9:39 pm

        Thanks Natalie!

        Reply

    Thanks for coming! Let me know what you think: Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    headshot of Saima

    Hi, I'm Saima! I live in Alberta, Canada with my husband and twin boys. Here, you'll find Indian recipes with fresh, natural ingredients and easy, no-fuss cooking techniques. Welcome to my blog!

    More about me →

    Popular Posts

    • chicken malai tikka skewers on a plate with green chutney and roti on the side
      Chicken Malai Tikka
    • pooris on a checkered red and white cloth in a red basket
      Crispy and Fluffy Puri Recipe (Fried Indian Poori Bread)
    • lamb karahi gosht in a bowl with roti on the side and two green chillies
      Lamb Karahi Gosht (Indian Lamb Curry)
    • beetroot sabzi in a bowl with naan and green chillies on the side
      Beetroot Sabzi (Chukandar Sabzi)

    Web Stories

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy

    Newsletter

    • Subscribe for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Indian Ambrosia

    Indian Ambrosia uses cookies to improve your experience. If you continue to use this site, we will assume you're okay with the terms:) GOT IT Read More
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    SAVE & ACCEPT